"Let's see what's on the woman's mind," Shih-ka'i said.
"Lord... "
"Not to worry. I'll comport myself properly. I'm as fond of my position as you are of yours."
Shih-ka'i had encountered Mist twice before, during her first reign, and each time his first glimpse had hit him like a blow between the eyes. Though he steeled himself, the result was no different this time. Hard to believe that anything that beautiful was human. Hard to believe that she was the child of that ugly old madman, the Demon Prince.
She rose when he entered the small chamber where she was holding court. As his legion commanders bowed to him, she extended her hand. Never having been formally presented to any of Shinsan's masters, Shih-ka'i was not sure how to respond. He made the slight bow due an army superior. The woman seemed satisfied. "Lord Ssu-ma."
"A pleasure, my Princess."
"The pleasure is mine." She seated herself. Lord Shih-mihn remained at her right hand, a man smitten. "I've been reviewing your campaign."
Shih-ka'i bowed again. "Mercy, Mistress," he said. "I've done my best, but I'm only a pig farmer's son." His tone did not match his words. They were mere formality.
"Mercy isn't necessary, Lord Ssu-ma. Not even the great Lords Chin or Wu could have done more."
Shih-ka'i surveyed his brethren, surprised. They stood tall and silent, unreadable behind their masks. What was this? They had spoken for a pig farmer's son?
The woman continued, "I have complete confidence in you. I'm not here to interfere, only to familiarize myself with your situation. These are trying times for the empire."
Shih-ka'i did not respond immediately. Tasi-feng stepped into the breach. "Lord Lun-yu, Mistress. Commander, Seventeenth."
"A legion I remember well, from times when Lord Wu commanded."
"Those days are gone, Mistress. As is Lord Wu."
"Gone, forgiven, and forgotten."
"Thank you, Mistress. There's a way you could help. The Deliverer has a companion of great power. We're unable to defeat her. To make the point directly, you might match yourself against her."
Shih-ka'i regained his composure. "My commanders tell me she's almost as strong as yourself, Mistress."
"This woman is the Deliverer's source of power?"
"One source. He had another, a godling of ancient times, that resided in the desert to the east. Tonight a Tervola named Hsu Shen and I destroyed it. Now the Deliverer and his woman are on their own."
"They're outside now?"
"Yes, Mistress."
"Let's have a look." Shih-ka'i bowed. His entire staff started to follow. Mist said, "You gentlemen return to work. Wait. Lord Shih-mihn. Your granaries are full?"
"Yes, Mistress." Puzzled.
"This place is filthy with mice. You might do something if you anticipate a long siege."
"Yes, Mistress."
Softly, Shih-ka'i said, "It won't be long. They're down to the lees of their strength. He's planning another surprise." Mist glanced over her shoulder, gave Pan ku a look filled with meaning. The decurion was not intimidated. Shih-ka'i said, "Pan ku is my shadow."
"As you will."
Ten minutes later, as they approached the city's northern wall, Shih-ka'i heard a scrabbling sound behind him, then a meaty thump as one body hit another. He spun, saw Pan ku push a large dog away from himself. The hilt of the decurion's shortsword protruded from the beast's chest. The dog twitched, whimpered, lay still. Pan ku retrieved his weapon, separated the beast's head and limbs. "Pan ku?"
"I'm all right, Lord. Didn't bite through my armor."
"What happened?"
"Came out of the dark straight at you, Lord." Mist squealed, "Down!" A flash blinded Shih-ka'i for an instant. His vision cleared. Another dog lay at his feet. Its left shoulder had been burned to the bone. "Maybe we should've let the others come," Mist said. "I think I see the direction of his next attack." He was right. Similar attacks were occurring throughout the city.
"Your commanders say he has a huge hatred for the empire. Any idea why?"
"Not the least, Mistress. We don't know who they are, or where they came from." Shih-ka'i resumed walking, "Keep a good watch, Pan ku. He might try again."
From the city wall he could see the woman in white standing atop a knoll a third of a mile away. She glowed in the darkness. "That's her," he told Mist.
She did not respond for half a minute. Then, "Curious. She's not alive. Not in the usual sense. She doesn't have a physical body. Yet there she is."
"There!" said Shih-ka'i, suddenly feeling the presence of the Deliverer. "To the left of her."
Mist shifted her attention, gasped. "It can't be!"
"Mistress?"
She was walking away already. Shih-ka'i and Pan ku trotted to catch up. She said, "Stay stubborn. Give me at least three more days. I think I know the cure for your Deliverer."
Shih-ka'i heard the soft pad of animal feet, but nothing charged out of the darkness. "I hope so, Mistress. I hope so."
14 Year 1016 afe
The Seed of Doom
DAYS HAD PASSED. Varthlokkur was at Mist's home, making certain neither she nor her new subjects had left Kavelin any unwanted gifts. The King walked in. The wizard was surprised.
"Found anything?" Bragi asked.
"Couple of inactive portals. Nothing else."
"Have to leave one working so she can drop in on her kids. Can you fix it so a gang of Tervola don't come tumbling through?"
"I've been considering using a demon guard."
The King made a face.
"I have a particular one in mind. A bureaucratic type. He'll throw anyone but Mist into stasis and defer to higher authority."
The King chuckled. "Come on. Be serious."
"I am. The creature exists."
"What about the others?"
"I shut them down. Radeachar is out looking for any that might be hidden away from the house."
"What about Maisak?"
"It's clean. We went through it last night. Found four."
"Think she was planning something?"
Varthlokkur shrugged. "My guess is, she used them for communication while she was getting her plot together. Not that she wouldn't take advantage of them later if we overlooked them."
"How's the baby?"
"Perfect. And Nepanthe is up walking around. We decided to call her Smyrena."
"That's an odd name."
"Not so much so in the old days. It was my mother's name. Nepanthe's idea."
"What about Ethrian? Caught anything new?"
Varthlokkur felt the unreasoning anger beginning to rise within him. He clamped down on it, growled, "No. I told you I don't want to talk about it. Let sleeping dogs lie. I think I've finally gotten Nepanthe off the damned subject."
"I got a problem you can maybe help with. Mist's kids."
"Nepanthe was talking about them this morning. They're her brother's kids. We'll take them off your hands as soon as she can cope with them." He had no enthusiasm for the task. He suspected he was too old and set in his ways to father Smyrena properly, let alone to foster a band of stepnephews.
"What are your plans? I'm pretty well through this crisis."
"But this wasn't the crisis you summoned me for. My friend, you played a little game with your eastern obsession and won. That's over. Now you have to come back and face your real problems. And you've got big ones. You've been using Mist's coup to distract yourself."
"Michael and I can handle Kavelin. My big worry is still Shinsan."